Tone-clarifying attachment for sound reproducing or transmitting instruments.



G. S. BUTLER. n TONE CLARIPYING ATTACHMENT POR SOUND REPRODUGING ORTRANSMITTING INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1913.

1,081,71 9. Patentd-Dee. 16, 1913.

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UNiTnD STATES @PATENT orrion.

COIBA STETSON BUTLER, O'I CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TONE-CLABIFYXNG ATTACHMENT FOB SQUND REPRDBUCYING l! TRANSMEM@ INSTRUMENTS..

hosieria.

pecieation ai Letters Patent.

Application tiled August 8,1%3.

yatented Dec. i6, 9t3i.

Serial No. 783,682.

splarifying devices for use with sound producing instruments or machines, and has particular reference to a device of this chal'- acter which is adapted to be employed within the sound reproducers of prevailing types of gramophones, telephones, and other such machines or instruments and is capable of being applied thereto as an attachment Without the necessity of making any change or inodication in the sound reproducer.- i

The objects of my invention are to provide as an attachment for the sound reproducers of gramophones, telephones, and other sound reproducing machines or instruments, a tone, clarifying device which may be quickly and conveniently applied to existing types of sound reproducers; which controls the vibrations of the diaphragm, preventing its acting too violently and' continuously and thereb eliminating the liuctuation or echoing e ect of the tone which is usually present in the operation of the aforesaid machines or instruments; which is very durable; and which is simple and economical of production.

lt is commonly known that, accompanying tones reproduced by machines or instruments of the above class, there is an unpleasant grating or rasping sound which detracts materially from musical reproductions, and, in the case ofthe reproduction of speech, results in'a confusion of'inarticulate sound-s, and this very displeasing quality is most noticeable in tones of Vhigh pitch. In fact it aplpears to increase in direct proportion to t e rise in pitch, which would seem to prove that, as the vibrations of the diaphragm become more rapid and the sound Waves produced thereby shorter, following each other, in more rapid succession, there -becomes an agitated condition' of air and sound waves within the sound reproducer. In other words, the principal sound Waves any ordinary gramophone.

seem to be surmounted byrsmaller sound waves or false vibrations or fluctuations, the resulting eect of which is nothing more than a noise. It would seem to follow from this that if certain means were introduced in the sound reproducer which would obviate this confusion by keeping under control the diaphragm and consequently the sound Waves directly resulting from the Vibrations thereof and which, at the same time, would interfere in no Way with the delicate Operation 0f. the diaphragm, some, if not all of the disagreeable qualities which are ril` dent to such instruments would be eliminated.

Whether the above theory not, I have found by experiments that1 by placing Within the sound reproducers between the diaphragm and the parallel wall of .the casing, a device comprising a plurality of properly arranged disks of various sizes and materials (as will hereinafter be described in detail) the reproduction of the tones are cleared of all impurities resulting from the false vibrations or fluctuations of the diaphragm, and the effect is practically theJ same in richness and clearness as the original production. To this end I provide the device set fort-h in the annexed claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawis correct or elements which constitute the device, separated in order to show their relative sizes and positions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing 1 represents the casing cfa sound box which may be that of This casing consists generally of an annular wall 2 and a circular Wal-1 3, from` the central port-imi of which extends a hollow bess 4 whereby the sound box may be secured to the supporting mem-ber of the Vgramoplionf-z and which provides means of attachment for a horn or other sound transmitter. Fitting within the angle between the Walls 2 and 3 of the easing is the usual rubber annulus 5 having a. channel 6 within which is securely held the periphery of the diaphragm 7, and

therefrom and occupying a groove within the Wall 2. This ring is split and is made of Spring metal which permits it to be contracted for the purpose of attachment and detachment. To the center of the diaphragm 7 is secured the end of the vibrating lever 10 which is pivotedat 11 between cars 12 projecting from the casing. The lever terminates at its lower end in a head 13 Which is provided with the usual socket for the reception of the stylus or. needle which may `be held in place by the set Screw 14. Occupying the space between the inner surface of the diaphragm 7 and the adjacent parallel wall 3 of the casing is my tone clarifying device (indicated generally at A) the edge of which is clamped within the channel 6 along side the periphery of the diaphragm.

The clarifying device is composed of 4 disks which are indicated in the drawing at 15, 16, 17, and 18. The disks are all provided with central apparatus 19 of uniform size and preferably greater in diameter than the opening 2() in the wall 3 of the sound box. The outer diameters of the disks 15 and 16 are equal and are substantially the same as that of the diaphragm 7, while the outer diameter of the disks 17 and 18 are somewhat less. The aggregate thickness of the disks is something less than the distance between the inner surface of the diaphragn'i 2 and the wall 3. The outer edges of the disks 15 and 16 are preferably cemented together, either continuously or at points about the circumference and between the adjacent surfaces of these disks are interposed the smaller disks 17 and 18. Itwill be seen from this that the outer disks provide a casing within which the disks 17 and 18 float, so to speak, and such a construction greatly facilitates the handling of the device when removed from thev sound reproducer, al though they may be held at one pointl only, by cement, the device operating equally as Well in either event. The difference (just noted abo-Ve) in the aggregate thickness of the disks and the depth of the cavity which they occupy permits 4of the presence of air between the various disks, and between the surfaces of the outer disks and the adjacent surfaces of the wall 3 and the diaphragm 7, and this air acts as a cushion in the operation of the instrument to control the vibrations of the diaphragm; and, furthermore, it seems to have a subduing and smoothing effect' upon the sound waves.

Going into detail more as to the nature of the various elements of the clarifier, it will be stated that the disks 15 and 16 are composed of the purest rubber gum obtainable,

which has applied to one of its surfaces a thin metal coating. This metal coating is atlixed to the gum by distributing evenly thereover any suitable adhesive solution con-1 taining finely divided metal, and, after the mixture has partially set, by subjecting the Whole to heat of a sufficient degree to cause a partial vulcaniza-tion of the rubber and the metal. The metal coated surfaces of the disks are placed to the outside where they contact with the diaphragm and the wall 3 of the casing, and between the inner surfaces of these disks are located the smaller disks 17 and 18 as hereinbefore described. The former of these disks is made of paper of a quality similar to that used by draftsmcn and known to the trade as detail paper and the latter, of a material composed prefy erably of three parts nitro cellulose aud one part camphor, although other materials pos sessiug substantially the same characteristicsl as the above may be used in place thereof, if desired.

As nearly as 'I can determine, the rubber disks and the air cushion (which is effected in the manner previously set forth) act to sustain the tone and keep down the superfiuous or artificial vibrations or fluctuations which seem to occur in the principal sound waves because of the agitated condition of the air within the sound reproducer and bccause of a too violent or continuous vibration of the diaphragm. I am convincedby my experiments, however, that those sound waves which produce the desirable tones, 1g@

and just referred to as the principal sound waves, are not disturbed or effected in any manner by the rubber disks or by the air cushion, and I wish it to be understoodthat the device has no softening or muli'ling effect upon such tones. To the contrary, the com` position disk and the paper disk seem to cooperate in taking up the vibrations of the diaphragm and accentuating the tones resultant therefrom. The metal coatings of the rubber disks avoid their having auv damping effect upon the diaphragm or wall of the casing.

A telephone receiver is shown in l? ig. 2 of the drawing, to which is applied one of my clarifying devices where it is illustrated as having its edge clamped between the annular bead 21, which projects from the inner face or wall of the cap 22, and the periphery of the diaphragm 23 which bears upon the outer end of the case 24. The case has an externally threaded portion 25 for the application of the cap 22.

The operation of the device in connection with the telephone receiver is identical to its operation in connection with the sound box of the gramophone, and it is obvious that the same is true if the clarifying device be used in connection with the transmitter of a telephone; and I wish it to beunder- `theilseofmyc strument where the equivalents of the elements comprising the sound reproducers above set forth, are presenti Having thus described mly invention, what I claim is: l

1. The combination, with the diaphragm of asound reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character set forth which isv adapted to beY supported against the diaphragm, said device comprisingY a pair of soft rubber disks, and a pair of disks of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks and composed of resilien't material, the latter disks being interposed between the rubber disks, the surface of the rubber disks adjacent the diaphragm being metal coated, and all of the disks having central apertures.

2. The combination, with the diaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device comprising a pair of soft rubber disks having their edges connected and their outer surfaces metal coated, and a pair of disks of resilient material and of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks interposed between the rubber disks, and all of the disks having central apertures.

3. The combination, with the diaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character Yset forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device comprising a pair of soft rubber disks having their outer surfaces met-al coated and their edges connected, and a hard, resilient disk of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks interposed between the former disks, and all of said disks having central apertures.

4. The combination, with a sound reproducing er transmitting instrument having a diaphragm and a wall spaced from the diaphragm and substantially parallel thereto, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be inserted between the diaphragm and the wall, said device comprising a pair of soft rubber disks having their outer surfaces metal coated, and a disk of hard, resilient material of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks interposed'between the former disks, all of said disks having central apertures and the aggregate thickness of the disks being less than the distance between the diaphragm and the wall for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument having a diaphragm and a wall spaced from 'the diaphragm and substantially parallel thereto; of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be inserted between the diaphragmand the wall, said device comprising a pair of rubber disks having their outer surfaces metal coated and their ed es connected, and a pair of disks one of which is hard" and both of which are of resilient material and of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks interposed between the rubber disks, each-of the disks having a central aperture and the aggregate thickness of the'disks being less than the distance between the diaphragm and the wall for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument having a diaphragm and a wall spaced from and substantially parallel to the diaphragm, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be inserted between the diaphragm and the wall, said device comprising a pair of rubber disks having their outer surfaces metal cated, and a pair of disks one of which is hard and both of which are 'of resilient material and of a diameter less than the diameter of the rubber disks interposed between the rubber disks, each of the disks having a central aperture and the aggregate thickness of the disks being less than the distance between the diaphragm and the wall for the purpose specified.

7 The combination, with the diaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said.device comprising a pair of soft, pliable disks having hardened outer surfaces, and a hard, resilient disk of a diameter less than the diameter of the former disks interposed between said disks, all of said disks having central apertures.

8. The combination, with thediaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device comprising a pair of soft, pliable disks having hardened outer surfaces, and a pair of dlsks, one of which is hard and both of which are of resilient material and of a diameter less than the diameter of the former disks and interposed between said former disks, and all of the disks having central apertures.

9. The combination, with the diaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting in-I strument, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be 'supported against the diaphragm, said device comprising a pair of soft, pliable disks having hardened outer surfaces and having their` ed es connected, and a hard, resilient disk o a diameter less than the diameter of the former disks interposed between said disks, and all of the disks having central apertures.

10. The combination, with the diaphragm of a sound reproducing or transmitting 1nstrument, of a device of the character .set forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device com prising a pair of soft, pliable disks having hardened outer surfaces and their edges connected, and a pair of disks interposed between the former disks, one of whlch is hard and' both of which are of resilient material, all of said disks having central apertures.

11. The combination, with the diaphra of a sound reproducing ortransmitting 1nstrument, of a device of the character set forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device comprising a pair of soft, pliable disks having hardened outer surfaces, and a hard, resilient disk interposed between the former disks.

12. The combination, with the diap of a. so'und reproducing or transmitting instrument, of a device of the character 1sel'. f forth which is adapted to be supported against the diaphragm, said device com `ris ing a pair of soft, pliable disks ha ardenedY outer surfaces, and a pair .of dlsks of resilient material interposed :betwoentthe j.Y

former disks. l

In testimony whereof, I A'30" signature in the presence of two ila'ltliessuas.` Vi- Cona srETsoN BTLEBQ Witnesses: i BRENNAN B. WEBT,:L. i. Erm, G11UENFnLn'r;4 4.f f 

